February 25 ( Citizen.lk News)- It has been revealed through the Right to Information (RTI) Act that the government spent over 10 million rupees solely on the Northern Province program of the ‘Ratama Ekata’ national operation, a state-led initiative aimed at eradicating the drug menace.
According to data obtained from the Jaffna District Secretariat by independent journalist Swarnalingam Warnan, the government allocated a total of Rs.1,10,79,075.00 for this one-day event.
The program was held on January 16, 2026, at the Jaffna College of Technology grounds under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The disclosed financial breakdown indicates that the highest expenditure was incurred for hall facilities, amounting to Rs. 52,37,000.00 Significant funds were also directed toward mobilizing participants and providing refreshments, with more than half a crore rupees spent on these two categories alone.
Specifically, Rs. 31,13,233.00 was spent on refreshments, while Rs. 23,43,885.00 was utilized for the transportation of the public attending the event.
Further costs included Rs. 1,18, 940.00 for general event preparation, Rs.51,700.00 for banners, and Rs. 36,890.00 for drinking water and sanitary facilities. Additionally, Rs. 23,375.00 was spent on reception activities, while miscellaneous expenses accounted for another Rs. 154,052.50.
During his address at this national anti-drug campaign, the President remarked that since the end of the war, parents in the North have lived in constant fear for their children due to the rising drug threat. He emphasized that this scourge spreads regardless of race, religion, or economic status, and declared that the movement to uproot it would not be rolled back. He concluded by calling on the public to unite as a "great security circle" to protect the nation from this crisis.
